Extra Luggage?
by penguinkj
Summary: Alex and Sam, two easy going fair spectators find themselves in the wild wild west. They run into our two favorite top outlawsturnedlaw abiding citizens. With Heyes and Curry's help they might get back, but will they return with Extra Luggage?
1. Chapter 1

Extra Luggage?

Sounds of merriment and joy surround us as the annual Western Fair rages on in Boulder, Colorado. My twin sister and I had agreed to compete in their new gun-drawing contest. I have on the traditional beige pants, a loose fitting shirt and a lilac vest that fits me rather snugly. I also adorn a simple revolver on a belt hanging on my right thigh. My sister here looks like any woman from the Wild West in her old-styled dress and lacy umbrella. Her hair is tied into a bun on top of her head, whereas mine swishes against my shoulders with each and every step I take. We both have mystical brown eyes with a tint of violet to them. We also stand at five feet eight, making us rather tall for the time.

While we're waiting for the contest to begin, which didn't start for at least another hour, we decide to go site seeing. Among the historic buildings, is an old sheriff's office with a single cell in the corner. I turn to my sister and say, "Well Miss Samantha, aren't you going to lock me up?"

"With pleasure." Taking the spare rope on the sheriff's desk, Sam ties my hands rather tightly behind my back. As she turns the key, I start to hear something. It seems to be a faint ticking sound. Very slow and steady at first, but then it grows faster and louder. "Sam it's a bomb!" She fumbles with the keys and jams one into the lock. The few people that were in here have fled, leaving just my sister and me. "Sam go, you can save yourself."

"No Alex, not a chance." Sam finally yanks the door open, along with my arm, but it is too late. An explosion goes off near the roof and we are caught in its wrath. The old looking pieces of wood smash down on me as I feel like I'm falling through layers of fog.

When my strength returns, I jolt up to see if Sam had gotten hurt. Then much to my surprise I find myself not in a hospital or even under the wood, but in an alleyway of the fair. Beside me is a newspaper with something most peculiar about it. The date reads August 18th, 1865. Can this date be real? _No, this can't be real. That explosion must've put Sam and me into a coma or maybe we're dreaming. That's it! That's got to be it. There's no other option. Although this might be fun. Might as well play along. I wonder if Sam's in this dream._ Through the throbbing of my head I manage to cry out, "Sam. Where are you?"

Then I hear a voice coming from…under me? "Same place you fell on her." I quickly roll off of her and she wonders the same thing I did when I first awoke. "Maybe we should look around first." As we stand to dust ourselves off, we see two figures waiting for us at the end of the alleyway and like me they have guns. They swagger over to us, like they own this land, until they're behind us. We turn to face them as they walk behind us. Somehow I knew these two look familiar and now I know why. They are Marc and James, two boys from our current college. However, now they seem to be staring at us like a ravenous cat would look at tuna. I feel the need to remind them of who we are from the weird expressions on their faces, "Marc! James! Come on guys don't you recognize us?"

Marc speaks up first, "I don't know how you know our names, but all you need to worry your little heads over is just how pretty you are. In fact, I'd say you're the prettiest things this side of the Mississippi River."

James speaks up next in that same arrogant voice, "Yeah and we've been hunting for twenty months."

Sam and I share the same confused look between us. Turning back to them and safely speak for the both of us, "You've been counting?"

Suavely they say simultaneously, "No, we've been hunting! Now if you were smart you'd follow us." They come up and grab our wrists and say smugly, "We just want to play."

Marc looks at me with my pants and gun as he says, "I see that you are no lady, so suppose you and I have a little competition. If you win, you walk scotch free…"

"And what if you win," I say jerking my wrist back.

"We get time with you."

With a reassuring look to Sam for support, I say, "I don't think so boys", hoping he will just give up and walk away.

_I've never shot anyone! This guy must be serious, there's no laughter in his voice, but maybe he's drunk. Either way we're toast!_ I notice there's a problem though when James' hold increases on my partner. I start to go over when Marc pulls his gun on me.

A strong and reassuring voice then stops the aggressor in his tracks, "Now is that anyway to treat a lady?" Still trying to get away from this lunatic, I do not see who this unknown stranger is.

It must not have been the cops because the drunkard continues to talk back. "Now who in Sam Hill are you?"

"Names Jones and like I said, that ain't any way to treat a lady." The name Jones sparks a chain of familiarity, though I pay no heed to it now. As I turn I spot the strangers instantly, one with light hair and one with dark hair.

The two strangers step in front of us without taking their eyes off of the two fools in front of us. Sam and I are trying to look over their shoulders to see what is happening, but to no avail. The curly blonde has his arms folded over his chest and seems to waiting, but I am not sure for what.

The two staring Jones right in the eye also seem to sense that, but continue on, "This here business is between us and the ladies, so git."

"My partner and I are under the impression that these ladies were under distress, so it's only natural that we would come over to investigate the trouble," says the dark haired man with a suave voice that could talk his way out of anything.

The two men in front of Jones join in on a vigorous laughter that stops when they see the seriousness in Jones' eyes. That's when they too turn lethally serious, "So you think just because you're a gentlemen that you can waltz right into someone else's business? Well sir that ain't the case and now I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson."

The other yells gleefully at this, "Yeah, yeah. Shoot his index off. He won't be bothering us then."

In the time that Marc had only began to feel the metal of his trigger, a shot is heard from Mr. Jones' gun. With a seriousness and anger in his voice he speaks, "Now you can either get out of my face now or that bullet in your shoulder will have company."

"Y-yes sir!" They both scramble over themselves in their attempt to get out of this quick drawing gun's range.

The dark haired man's voice is a soothing one and well tuned, "Are you all right ladies?"

Doing my best not to blush, unsuccessfully might I add, I look up into my rescuer's face and am amazed. The dark brown hair hides the most poignant of brown eyes I have ever seen. His smile is gorgeous, the dimples on his cheeks are so child like and to tell the truth were we alone, I'd kiss him right here just to taste those soft lips of his. _My goodness have I died and gone to heaven?_ Noticing that I haven't answered, I quickly recover with my words, "Why yes thanks to the two of you."

"It was our pleasure ma'am. No man should take advantage of a lady. No matter how pretty she may be." I look at my sister to see she's giving this stranger the same look I did to the dark haired man and I can see why. His curly blonde hair hangs about his granite blue eyes and his muscular form would woo any woman, including one so picky as my sister. Now I know I've died for we have angels looking over us.

"Why that was the finest shooting I've ever seen! You could whip the tails off the boys we've encountered. You should so enter that contest, but I suppose you all ready have haven't you?"

"Thank you ma'am, but tell me where is this contest," the blonde seems to talk with a certain kind of assertiveness.

"Its right down the street I think. I swear when you go into a fair, get a map, you get so lost in…here…Oh my gosh I've been so rude as to not ask the names of our rescuers."

"Well ma'am my name is Joshua Smith and there's my partner Thaddeus Jones." Both of them tip their hats at the mention of their name. He continues without missing a beat despite the silence, "May we at least take you to where you're staying. Mrs…"

"It's Miss…Miss Alexandria Lulson actually and this is my sister Sam. Of course Mr. Smith you can escort us, but we're not sure where anything else is anymore." The two gentlemen hold out their arms and escort us to a hotel where they get adjoining rooms and they even pay for our room too. Though my sister seems contented with this turn of events, something tells me that I should be weary of those two and it seems like I've seen them before and what about this time. There are no TVs and no radios, what could this be. I look at Sam and say "Maybe this isn't a dream; maybe we've actually gone back in time_."_ With a moment's hesitations on those thoughts I conclude, "No, that can't be right. This is only a dream, that's it, only a dream."_ That's what I keep telling myself hoping that I will believe it._ "Time travel isn't possible, is it?" _ I ask Sam._ She looks around the room and shrugs as I walk over to the window and look out. The streetlights have disappeared. The ATM that used to be in front of the bank is gone. The street pavement is gone. I turn to Sam and say "Faced with all the overwhelming evidence what else could it be. If we did travel back, how do we get back home?" We stare at each other in disbelief as we both come the same conclusion; we are in the Wild West, the real Wild West. Sam sits down and leans her head back, with her eyes closed._ This is how she thinks, I on the other hand pace. _Tired of pacing, I decide that a drink at the local saloon ought to calm my nerves. Slipping quietly out of my room, I hear some whispering that I can make out to be Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith.

Jones starts off the conversation, "Heyes why can't we stay. No one even knows our names except for those two ladies." I plant myself against the door when I hear Mr. Jones call Mr. Smith "Heyes".

"I know Kid, but that's the problem. They're bound to recognize us sometime."

"And until then let's enjoy the town. I hear this town has a lot of dumb players with big wallets."

"Tempting as that sounds, you know the rule. A certain time in each town and then we move on." _Why would they need to move on, it's not like they're wanted or anything, or are they? _

"We can't just leave them here. You saw how helpless they were and the one with the gun isn't going to be able to help much. She shouldn't even be carrying a gun. One more day, that's all I'm asking." _I'm not helpless…okay maybe a little, but I'm not totally helpless! _

"Kid we have our own troubles remember? So we're leaving in the morning as planned. Now let's go talk to those girls, I have some questions for them." Realizing the conversation is over and hearing footsteps approaching, I run pass the door and to the stairs where I see them go into our room. _Thank god for all those high school years in track. _

Jumping down the stairs two at a time, I land in the lobby where I stop by the clerk's desk. "Is there some place where I can rent a horse and practice my shooting?"

"Why yes ma'am. If you ride out of town four miles west of here, there should be an arena and as for a horse, I'm sure you can rent one at the stables."

"Good. Can you have a message sent up to a room?"

The old clerk takes out some paper and a pen, "Why yes Ms. Lulson and which room would this be to?"

With a smile on my face I answer, "To room 204." I give a slight pause as he whips out a pen and paper, but then continue when he looks up at me expectantly, "Sam, I've rented a horse and am going out to the shooting arena four miles west of here. Should be back by nightfall. P.S. I've taken the sketchbook with me just so you know. Alex." After the clerk finishes writing; he calls over a messenger to run it up to the room.

Looking blankly at the ceiling I ponder, _Now I wonder where Alex ran off to and those two guys. There must be some thing more to them than meets the eye. Though the blonde is such a hunk. No, I can't allow myself to think that way. _Hearing a knock at the door, I sit up so fast that my head seems to spin. Wearily I call out, "Who is it?"

The dominating voice floats through the door like a bow to a violin's strings, "It's Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith."

Opening the door, I let them into our room; "Well what brings you to this room Mr. Jones?"

"Ma'am we have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."

"Of course not Mr. Jones. In fact I have a few questions for you as well. Sit down." They bring about two chairs and sit in them backwards as I sit all lady like (because of this stupid dress).

Mr. Smith starts off the conversation, "So how did you and Alex come to this town?"

Thinking of the best excuse in my head, as I can't even figure this out myself, I answer them with confidence beaming to conceal the lie at hand, "My sister and I traveled far to get here."

"How far ma'am?"

Mr. Jones seems to be very persistent in his interrogations, but I answer him just the same, "We came from New York, if that answers your question. I suppose you'd want to know why two city girls would want to be all the way out here."

"You read us like an open book Miss Lulson."

"Yes it seems I have a sort of talent for that Mr. Smith. Anyway my sister and I wanted to spend our vacation out in the country for once. You see, we're journalists, which has enhanced our ability to read people. However, women in jobs, like those of journalists, aren't always appreciated and it's a miracle that we even got their attention in the first place. The office we work at was short on men, or so they said, but we later came to find the reason for our employment was our unique ability to get people to tell us the truth and to draw accurate pictures of people by memory. It's gotten us in trouble on more than one occasion than I'd like to think about, but it's also helped us get out of trouble."

The two look at each other with a subtle horror in their eyes that I notice only when they seem to straighten up a bit. Giving them a strange look of my own, they regain the composure they had put on ever since we met them. Mr. Smith looks around before he asks, "I've only just noticed, but where's your sister?"

Still stuck in my train of thought, I don't answer them for several moments until they call out to me. "I apologize. As for Alex, she's probably in the saloon playing poker." I notice the curious spark in Mr. Smith's eye as I mentioned the complicated card game. "Yes she plays poker. Rather good too. She once won three thousand dollars in one game that lasted but fifteen minutes. Are you any good Mr. Smith?"

"Why yes? I can usually only win a thousand in a fifteen-minute game though. I'll have to play her some time."

"Well make sure your wallets aren't full, she'll empty them." Then almost as if on cue, there's a knock at the door. "That's probably her now." I'm disappointed to find a mere messenger as I pull open the door.

In a sort of whiny voice, the messenger addresses me, "Samantha?"

"Yes?"

"Here's your message!" The messenger hands over the piece of paper and runs down the hall as if having other chores to do.

Opening up the piece of paper, I notice it's from Alex. I quickly read it to myself before sharing the contents with the two gentlemen standing behind me. "It's from Alex. It reads: Sam, I've rented a horse and gone out to the shooting arena four miles west of here. Should be back by nightfall. P.S. I've taken the sketchbook with me just so you know. Alex." I walk over to the mattress of our bed and lift up my side. I search frantically for the simple black spiral notebook that we found earlier, but find no traces of it. "Darn it! She took it, she really took it. No worries though it was her turn anyway."

"What do you guys do with these sketchbooks?"

"Well we'll ride out somewhere. Practice whatever we want for a bit and then on a break we'll sketch whatever gives us inspiration. Sometimes Alex sketches scenery, but she really loves to draw people, especially their faces. I don't know why, but she does." As I go on with my speech, I notice the two men start to look a little pale. "You boys all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Would you excuse us Miss Lulson?"

"Most certainly." As the two men go out into the hall and close the door behind them, I press myself to the door's edge. Even though they are whispering, I can still make out their words.

"Heyes you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking we had better go get Alex before she turns those pictures in, then yes."

"The minute those pictures hit our posters, is the minute we leave the country."

"I know."

"And then we can just kiss our amnesty good bye."

"I know that Kid, but there's gotta be a way out of this." After a sigh and a few moments to think, Mr. "Smith" speaks once more. "I'll go get her. You stay with Sam and don't leave until you see me riding back into town. I'll try and get the sketchbook and I'll try to think of something from there."

"Good luck Heyes." Jumping to my feet, I lay back down on the bed pretending to read the complimentary paper. "My partner has some business to take care of, so it'll just be you and me."

_Perfect. With that partner of his out of the way, I can finally get some answers._ "So Mr. Jones do you play poker?"

"No ma'am. I'm an expert on firearms you might say."

"So you're a lawmen?" A short spurt of laughter bursts from the curious man, but he soon turns it into a series of coughs.

"Sorry, a cold, I'm afraid."

_A cold in the middle of summer? Who are you Mr. Jones? What are you hiding? _"Yes, well maybe some food will help."

As I go towards the door, he grabs my arm gently and leads me back to my chair, "I only need your company Miss Lulson?"

"You can call me Sam Mr. Jones, but I'm rather curious about your life being a journalist and all. Tell me what was your childhood like."

"Well I grew up on a farm and did what any other boy did. I fished, swung from vines, etc…"

"Surely you had friends."

"Why yes? Joshua is my only friend and has been ever since childhood."

_Now we're getting somewhere. _"That's too bad, to grow up with only one friend."

"Actually it wasn't like that. Joshua and me have been each other's only family ever since our folks died."

_Jackpot! _I plaster the concern countenance on my face as I talk in a slower and more comfortable manner, "I'm so sorry. How old were you?"

"Ten I think…I try not to remember."

"I bet, so you've been alone. No womanly/motherly figure was there to comfort you?" _This technique always works, but only if the right answer is given. _

"Actually there was one young lady that took care of us for a while, but we were taken away from her and sent to an orphanage. Apparently, society disapproves of a young and single woman raising two young boys going onto being young men." _This is going to be even easier than I thought. _"I'm sorry Miss Lulson, I don't wish to bore you with my tale."

"No, it's just that. Your tale reminds me of our, that is my sister and my, past."

"Tell me about it." With a smile on my face, I begin the tale that would most certainly assure my entry to more secrets of his life. Maybe I'll find out about the nickname Kid.

Walking out into the sun, I make my way down to the stables where they'd have extra horses for sure. Half an hour and two dollars later, I spur out of town on a regal chestnut with a simple saddle towards the shooting arena. Arriving to the sounds of gunshots, I take a place among the gunslingers. As nightfall approaches, all others have left leaving only me to shoot at the same beaten up target. After the only souls left are my horse and me, I stop my shooting and look out to the now rising moon. Then out of the corner of my eye, I see a mysterious figure approaching. With the speed of an Olympic sprinter at the signal shot of the starting gun, I draw my gun and lock onto the target ahead of me. I gasp, but am not surprised, when I see who's staring down the barrel of my gun, a certain Mr. "Smith" or should I call him Mr. Heyes?

"Didn't expect you so soon," I say still holding the gun to his forehead. When he tries to calmly remove the barrels from his face, I snap at him combined with the subtle cocking of the gun. "I wouldn't do that."

With a sort of uncomfortable chuckle Heyes smiles and tries to talk his way from this situation, "Now take it easy. Why don't you lower that gun, so we can talk?"

Ignoring this talk, though seven hours ago a line like that would've worked; I hold the gun right between his eyes. Now that I know he lies, I can no longer trust him. "When were you going to tell us who you really are or were we going to have to figure it out ourselves?"

"Miss Lulson you must've hit your head! My partner and I never lied to you or your sister and if you would just calmly take the gun down, maybe we could talk civilized."

"This is the only way to get through to a liar, isn't it, Mr. 'Smith'?" An even stupider confused look spreads across Smith's countenance as he tries to lie to me, but is unsuccessful, and is met by my anger in the form of a slap from my left hand.

Realizing that I'm serious in my accusations, Heyes releases his pleading smile and replaces it with his threatening glance. "I'm telling you we never lied to you."

"You really want to take this path. Tell me the truth now or tell me the truth when I hand you over to the sheriff. So what'll it be Mr. Heyes?"

He releases a sigh of frustration as he talks, "There's been a terrible mistake. I'm not Heyes. If I were, you wouldn't be holding that gun right now. It's rumored that Heyes could talk his way out of a tiger's belly and if I was Heyes where's my partner what's-his-name? Besides you wont turn us in."

Realizing that he has called my bluff, I lower my gun back into its holster and turn from him. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"Well to be honest, I wasn't too sure. But I had a feeling that you were bluffing. Besides I like you and think that you are an honorable woman. Am I wrong?"

"No. But the way I figure it, if you need to lie to two ladies about a name, then you must have something important to hide." Heyes looked into my eyes and the same blushing thoughts came to my mind. "I thought I could trust you, but then I overheard your conversation back at the hotel."

"So you were invading our privacy?"

"Well you were speaking loud enough. I suppose you came for the sketchbook didn't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I told Sam that I took it, so she'd tell you about it and that way one of you was bound to come this way looking for it, since you're obviously concerned about keeping your identity secret."

Heyes pushes his hat back and smiles at me "What do mean?"

I step closer to him and lean in to whisper, "I know your name is Hannibal Heyes and your partner is Kid Curry."

As I step back Heyes starts to deny this statement until he looks at my face. "Ok, you win. I am Heyes and my partner is Kid Curry." I am surprised, and in a little disbelief, at how quickly he admitted this.

Heyes pulls back from our stance and looks to our horses, "I'll get the horses ready."

I turn from him, relieved to be looking down at the black notebook where I can express my troubles without any critics. Picking up the sketchbook, I drift through a few of its pages while Heyes gets the horses ready. The image that strikes me most is a simple close up portrait of the two men. Tearing the rest of the pictures out and stuffing them neatly into my pockets, I walk over to Heyes where I gladly swipe my horse's reins from his hand. Climbing into my saddle, I spur my horse into a dead gallop through the night.

The moon hits its high point as Heyes and I come trotting back into town. Walking down the street to greet us are Sam and Mr. Curry. Jumping off my horse, I run into my sister's arms. When we're back in our hotel room, I begin to pace on my friendly piece of floor.

Sam soon becomes annoyed at my insistent pacing, "Okay Alex you walk by me one more time and I'll throw you out the window."

"Sam, do you remember that documentary that we saw about the old west. Doesn't it seem strange that all the things we learned about the old west are true? Remember the two famous outlaws Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry that the documentary talked about?"

"Yeah so…"

"How one had dark brown hair and one had blonde hair. How one could draw faster than any other in the west. How one could make five pat hands out of twenty-five cards. How they were on a quest for amnesty and changed their names while doing so."

"Yeah, so."

"Go a little faster." When Sam finally recognizes what I'm talking about, I continue. "Yes, those two are Heyes and Curry. Heyes finally admitted it to me."

"So they've lied us?"

"Yes."

"Wait, I heard them talking outside our door just as you did."

"You see I knew they lied and when Heyes tried to deny it…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on. What do you mean when he tried to deny…it…? Oh you mean when he went after you."

"Yes and he didn't take the pictures of them that we have in our sketchbook. Now we have suitable blackmail if we choose."

"Speaking of which Alex, we should split the pictures in case they get smart and try to take them."

"All ready covered." Taking two folded pieces of paper out of my vest pockets, I hand one to Sam and stash the other back in my pocket. "That one is of Curry, I'll carry Heyes' picture."

"Yeah cause you love him."

"Excuse me? I heard that."

"Well I said it loud enough." As I try to chase Sam down, she chants to me just like when we were kids. "You want to date him. You want to kiss him. You want to marrryyyyy him."

"Shut up! Shut Up! Shut Uuuuuppppp!"

The rest of the night goes by uneventfully; even the two outlaws don't try to sneak into our room to steal those pictures. As the morning wears on to early afternoon, the both of us go down to the local saloon. Sam looks at me the entire way and at the end, she whispers; "Now we've gone back time, so no screwing up. I like the future how it is."

"Sam. I think I can handle this."

From the corner of my eye, I see the two men sitting at the corner table. They smile and wave us over. Curry smiles at Sam as she sits down, "Morning ladies."

"Morning. Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith."

"So you going to be hanging around town for long?"

"Actually ma'am we planned on in a couple of hours."

"Well the gun-drawing contest occurs in that time frame and we hoped that maybe you and Alex, Mr. Jones, could enter the contest together."

"I'm sorry Sam, but my partner and I have to get going." A short pause follows Kid's statement._ Why did he call Sam, well, Sam? Men of this time didn't do such things without permission from the woman._ The same look on my face is reflected in Mr. Heyes' face as well and in interest of getting through this moment, and asking about it later, I speak up.

"We were afraid you'd say that."

"So we have a proposition." Sam seems unmoved by Mr. Curry's statement.

"What kind of proposition?"

"One that'll keep us from mentioning you to the sheriff."

"Why do you say that we would care about being mentioned?" As we take the folded pieces of paper from our pockets, I notice them grow pale.

"Now unless you want these in the hands of your own sheriff in Wyoming, then you'll do as we say."

"Now liven up, I thought this town had dumb players with big wallets. We'll be back and then we'll tell you for sure what you'll be doing. Enjoy your breakfast."

We finish our breakfast, before they can say anything, and take a surveillance walk around the town while the boys engage in poker. We're walking through the main street, when a flash of color catches my eye. Turning to the colors, I see a gypsy's booth. "Think we should try it Sam?"

"After all of this, I'm willing to go on a limb here."

As we approach, the gypsy looks up and speaks in an eerie voice, like she's calling out to us, "Ah yes the Lulson twins. May I see your hand Alex?" Hesitantly, I place my hand in her outstretched palm and wince as she pulls it close to her face.

"Interesting, interesting. You've traveled very far to get here, haven't you?"

"Why yes, we've come from New York."

"You miss your home on the boardwalk don't you? With all the different sun rises on the coast and the sea's waves slashing against the shore. You miss your dog Danny. Do not fret, there is a way to get home."

Pushing my hand further into her vision, I loose the cool that I had kept until this point, "How, how do we get home?"

"You will find the answers in the draining heat of yonder noon." With a nod of thanks, I pull my hand from her grasp and walk away from her. I get but only twenty feet away when she blurts out, "I also see you returning home with some extra luggage."

Freezing in my tracks, I think: _Extra Luggage? _"Thank you." Returning back to the saloon, we find the two men enjoying a beer and take a seat at their table. "Hello boys. I bet you're wondering about that job. All you have to do is protect us for one week, maybe even less, when we'll be gone."

"Doesn't sound too bad."

"Yeah, but Mr. Jones and I can't stay around town for another week."

"Why is that Mr. Smith?"

"Ladies…"

"Enough Heyes." Curry stares at me then at Heyes. "Let's put it this way, we know your names aren't Smith and Jones. If you don't help us, those pictures might just grow legs."

In a hushed voice that causes Sam and myself to lean in closer so we can hear him, Heyes continues, "What pictures?"

"The ones we have safely tucked away. You two are the two notorious outlaws Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. Those pictures would look fine on your wanted posters."

In an even quieter volume, he goes on, "We were offered an amnesty last year. If we remain law-abiding citizens for long enough, we've been promised our slates to be wiped clean. However I don't think you will do anything with those drawings"

Heyes and I stare at each other. Trying to determine who is bluffing. Without breaking my glare I say, "Fine, you win. We would not use the pictures against you. But I am asking you as a favor, please help us."

Curry speaks for the first time since sitting down. "Heyes and I will stay and help you." Heyes looks at Curry and then at me and nods.

"Now see that wasn't that bad. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a gun-drawing contest to get to." I stand to leave and am followed by Heyes and Curry. "What are you doing?"

"Like you said, I have the best shooting in the west. I figure I'll enter just to see you at work." Saddling up their horses, I notice that we have only have their horses as a mode of transportation. We decide to just pair off on the horses, I decide to go with Heyes and Sam goes with Curry. The banner advertising the contest brings itself into view as well as the shots echo in my head. Pulling up to the registration, I enter my info and wait for the contest to begin. Soon after, I hear the announcer scream for the contestants to pull up to the starting line. The rules are simple. Each contestant will be judged on how fast he or she draws their gun and how accurate their shot is. The first three rounds Mr. Curry and I breeze through without difficulty. As the finals wear on, things start getting tougher. The targets all seem to be a blur and it's hard to concentrate. The competition gnaws through three of the final five until it's just Mr. Curry and myself. The last shot is here at last and I'm not nervous. _Maybe it's the heat that's making me feel a bit woozy. _Taking off my hat, I wipe my brow with my sweat-saturated bandanna, but it doesn't help.

"Alex, are you all right?" Voices run together, but I can still make out the tone of my unique sister's voice. Slowly I nod my head yes as the final round begins. Tension fills the air and as the targets are pulled into position and the announcer yells for us to get to the starting line.

"Good luck Mr. Jones."

"Likewise Miss Lulson."

Silence envelops the area as the announcer counts down to the shot that would determine the winner. The voice slows to slow motion and yet I'm completely aware of where the normal flow of time is. "Ready…GO!" Whipping my gun from its holster, I trigger the shot from the gun and unfortunately I heard Mr. Jones' shot at least a half a second before mine. The measurers confirm their dimensions with the coordinator of the event and relay it to the announcer. The voice becomes more distant with every word until the darkness closes in around my vision and a bottomless pit of nothingness appears under my feet, which I feel like I'm falling into.

A hazy image awaits me as I open my eyes to the ceiling of the sheriff's office that we started in at the beginning of all this mess. "Whoever thought we'd be stuck here together." _I know that voice, but I don't believe it. _Sure enough, as I turn to the voice, I see Heyes and his surprisingly sexy grin. His white teeth sparkle like stars, though the only light that's on is the pale moonlight shinning through the musty window. Letting out an uncomfortable chuckle, I try to look away but am met with his breath-swiping gaze. He stands from his chair, without releasing his stare on me, and waltzes up to me. Each step he makes is a stroke on the violin and every second that he looks at me is another breath stowed and released into the cool bark of a woodland flute. Together they serenade a classical worthy of Mozart's ear. "No. I can never look at you again."

"You can and I'll look at you too." Locking one arm behind my waist and one hand cradling my face, he brings his face to my own. Just close enough to taste my sweet victory, but too far away to fully appreciate it. Going the extra inch to reach his face, I touch his soft lips and am shocked on how real this feels. On how I can undergo the surreal experience of our lips sashaying over each other's, like two ice dancers telling a story with their graceful movements, can be a complete enigma to me.

Then a slow and creeping sound appears in my ears. As I'm contemplating this unusual sound, I feel every part of this room grow cold as ice. My breath is visible as Heyes pulls away from me and levitates above the ground. Gray shadows form three dimensional characteristics and fashion themselves to their master's body floating above them. _Heyes has been transformed to a grim reaper. What's going on? Wait a minute, that fortune lady said I'd find my way home this afternoon in my…dreams! _One corpse like finger raises from the now unrecognizable Heyes toward the floor. Upon closer examination, I notice the cold originating from the beneath the floor. I pull and pull at the planks until they yield to my power and reveal a swirling purple fog, the same one that we fell through to get here. I reach out to touch it, hoping that I'd be able to get home. No such luck happens, as I feel nothing occur to the nerves on my hand that I dipped into the solution, but I feel a more chilling sensation when I retract my hand. It moves fast from my head, to my feet and everything in between. The occurrence leaves me dripping with ice and shivering from the cold, but does bring the light flooding in to dispel the darkness.

I bolt up shouting, "Ah! Ah! Sam!" Taking a deep breath from the cold still on me, I reach for the nearest piece of fabric as to wipe my eyes. I pull the offered towel from Sam's hand and look at all of them, "Which one of you dumped that ice…cold…water…on me?" With each passing pause, I grow louder just to see the reactions on their faces.

"That'd be me. When you didn't wake up, I ran and got a pitcher, which proved quite useful for waking you. You see you've been out for three hours." I turn and just my luck, the one that dumped the water on me was Mr. Heyes himself.

"Well now I'm fine. Sam, I found how to get out of here…Wait, did I win?"

Kid looks away as he mumbles, "By a half an inch and a half of a second."

I turn to Curry, stick my tongue out and say "I won! Are you going to leave town now?"

"No, we're going to see you off just to make sure those pictures of yours don't grow legs."

"Why how thoughtful of you Mr. Heyes."

"Yes very, now can my sister and I have a moment alone please?" As they exit and Sam makes sure they don't stick around by the door as she sits by me on the bed. "Okay so how do we get back home?"

"How do you know I know?"

"Because you mumbled 'Sam I found the fog' in your sleep. When we supposedly came to this place, I felt like I was falling through some purple fog. Plus you said it about three minutes ago"

"Well we need to make it to the sheriff's office and rip up the floorboards. The portal is just underneath."

"You mean it's been there all that time?" With a nod of confirmation from me, she continues, "I'm confused on what did you dream. You kept tossing and turning and talking about stopping something and also something about the grim reaper."

Calmly I explain the dream to my attentive colleague and watch her reaction when I tell her about the kiss. "Why does the kiss part sound so familiar to you?"

"It reminds me of…"

"You kissed Heyes? Oh…"

"Relax! Not Heyes…"

"But it was Curry, wasn't it?"

"It was the only way to learn about his childhood if I played the 'I'm so lost and hopeless' as well as the 'Oh how'd you survive childhood without parental love' card and follow up with the 'I'm so sorry, can I do anything to help' card. I tell you it works wonders on men."

"T.M.I. Sam."

"Well your dream wasn't exactly G rated either."

"Let's forget this argument and get some rest for tonight. We attack the sheriff's office at ten 'til midnight, giving us enough time to render the sheriff useless, find the portal and go through."

"Great, but."

"One thing still troubles me though."

"What?"

"That extra baggage thing."

"I wouldn't worry, now rest up. I'll tell the boys everything."

"But Sam…Thanks. You've been such a big sister to me." Laying my head down onto the pillow, I close my eyes and dream on the event of passage through time.

"It's 11:45! WAKE UP!"

The soothing voice that Sam portrays wakes me from my gentle slumber rather harshly, if it can be done. "P.M.?" Not believing it, I pull the pillowcase over my head where it's ripped from my head the next minute.

"P.M.!" I spring from my bed and hobble into my boots and slap on my gun. Throwing open the window, I look out onto the resting town. No one is awake, perfect for our plans. Slipping down the gutter pipe, I land onto the street next to Sam. Making our way to the sheriff's office, we see no trace of Heyes or Curry. Stepping into the old building, a small chuckle escapes us as we see the sheriff tied up in his own cell. "All right boys we know you're here. Come out now." From behind the door the two outlaws creep by our side and chuckle at their work. The sheriff isn't so amused.

11:55 reads the clock on the sheriff's wall and yet I hear nothing. I walk towards the cell and hear the noise I'm looking for, a small and faint ticking sound. I usher Sam over to confirm the sound, which she does, and have the sheriff taken out. I feel around for some loose floorboards and find some underneath the bench. Using the best of my strength, I rip the boards up one by one until I find what I think I'm looking for. Instead of foundation, a swirling mist of purple smoke rages under the floor. Gusts of ferocious wind burst from the portal. I look back at Heyes and release my smile at the thought of him never finding out about my dream. I hear you say your goodbyes and look at me, expecting me to do the same.

"Well this is goodbye."

"What do you mean? What is this?"

"This gentlemen will get us home. I'm just sorry we'll never see you again. Farewell."

"We'll miss you boys." The gentlemen give a nod and I think: _That's it? _I get over my urge to hug him and…_Whoa! All this over one dream? I'll be glad to get out of here. _Shaking my head of these thoughts, I turn to Sam.

"Ready. How about on three?"

"One…Two…"Before we can say three, the swirling vortex at our feet releases a weird sounding moan and then the vortex's winds change direction. They don't blow out, but are now sucking in everything it can as if in its final moments of existence it wants to get everything it can. We too succumb to the power and fall through the fog.

I awaken to the deafening silence of the sheriff's office. It is day and the roof is broken from the explosion that happened in our time. I open my eyes to see Sam. Getting up slowly, I stumble over to the sheriff's desk. There sitting on the wood is a fake paper with the date August 18th 2015. "We're back! Ha, ha, ha! Sam! Sam!" Looking around, I don't seem to find Sam. "Sam?" Then I walk backwards into an unknown force and fall over the feet of Sam. "Sam we're back."

Smiling we stand and leap into each other's arms. "Yes! I got to say for a while there, I thought we weren't going to get back."

"I know. I'm glad to get back though, so I'm finally away from that guy Heyes. It seemed that he was messing with my head and that gypsy…whoa what's wrong?" Sam has pulled from our hug and looks with an alien look of terror over my shoulder.

"I just figured out the meaning behind the gypsy's saying 'extra luggage'."

"You can't possibly…."

"Oh can't I?" She takes my head and forces its gaze to the sheriff's cell where there lays two unconscious figures, blissfully unaware of their place in time.


	2. Chapter 2

Extra Luggage Part II

The time, 18:12 of the year 2015, when the world turned back its clocks for Sam, me and the two notorious ex-outlaws Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. Nothing had seemed so strange, but it was true, and now that we're back in our own time, we decide that we'd keep them at our house until I at least could find a way to send them back.

After escaping the fair, we settle down at our vacation home in the Rocky Mountains near Estes Park, Colorado. The log mansion sits in perfect view of one of the mountain's summits, surrounded by a crystal-clear lake, complete with a roaring waterfall, at the left side and a radius of three acres around the house itself. Around the back of the house, alongside the lake, is our stables where we've let the boys round up the horses while Sam and I watch them with joy. Some people would say we're rich and they'd be right as far as material possessions are concerned, but so far we've had the worst luck with men. Sam and I observe the mixture of things from a balcony overlooking the lake. I turn to Sam, my twin in appearance, but opposite in personality, and call, "Sam?"

"Yeah Alex," she responds looking up from her baking dish.

"How do you suppose we're gonna get them back?"

"You'll think of something, you always do," she un wraps her apron from her waist after she sets her apple pie on the counter to cool. Taking off her apron reveals her royal sapphire halter v-neck dress. Her chestnut hair rolls off her shoulders in various curls and forms to her naturally glowing face. She may look nice, but it's going to earn her ample teasing for at least two years. Especially since she's redone her make up.

"I'd like a little input," I say with a hint of sarcasm as I toss another crumpled piece of paper from my journalist notepad onto the already towering pile of used ideas. "Tell me something. When you were alone with Heyes and Curry, what did you tell him what we do for a living?"

"I told them we were journalists from New York."

"Good."

"But."

"I think we should tell them the truth. After all it's pretty hard to hide this," I press a small button camouflaged with the floor tile, which activates the hidden storage system to open up from the floor. Several shelves rise from the hole in the ground, filled with pistols, machine guns, grenades, and, my favorite, knives. Another step on the raised button secures the tray of weapons back to its concealed hiding place. "Need I say more?"

"Good point, but are we going to stay here long enough for it to count, really?"

"Who knows if we're going to be able to send them back? They might have to live here forever and I don't even want to think about that. Them, living here? One hundred fifty years into the future. Sam, we're talking about two beings adjusting to the greatest change they'll ever experience and they're outlaws for goodness sake."

"Listen to yourself, it's like you don't believe in them."

"How would we adjust if we were them?"

"Alex, you should have a little more faith."

"Faith's for people that are too afraid to admit the truth."

"And you're not like that."

"Nah. But I had you going, didn't I?"

"You dork! Mom always said you should've gone into the acting business."

"Yep, but I settled for the super cool F.B.I. field agent job that I could share with my sister. It gives me a chance to travel, meet new people and the pay's not bad either." A sudden beep from the timer signals the pie's readiness to be eaten, which alerts us much after the smell of the delicious dessert floating through our nostrils like clouds on a summer day. "Ooh, looks like you're pulling out all the stops or does Curry just happen to have a big sweet tooth?"

"Well you know what they say," and in her best "old lady" voice she continues, "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Whoa, aren't you being a little too obsessed?"

After a short period of silence and stammering, of some small note, she comes back with, "Shut up."

"Ooh you're getting red. Sam and Kid sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." I walk over to our other oven of six and pull out my fully baked cinnamon apple, after which I grab a wine bottle with a couple of glasses from the on hand wine cooler. Snatching up a ribbon from the table and wrapping my hair in it once my stuff is neatly packed into my own picnic basket. I, myself, am adorned in a sage knee high a-line dress that flitters about my thighs with every effortless step, and a v-neckline lined with a ruffled collar. I may not have done make up, but I'm pretty pleased with the outfit.

"Shut up," she says while locking her stuff away in her own picnic basket and turns to me with a glare in her eyes.

"What are you going to do, bite me?"

"I will if you don't shut up." It's then that she notices my outfit and gives her own smirk. "And you call me provocative. You're pulling out all the stops too, just for a chance at Heyes."

"Pretty much."

Sam chuckles a little before muttering, "You are such a hypocrite. Must you be so blunt with everyone?"

"Yeah."

"But I'm your sister."

"That just makes you more gullible."

"Alex!"

"What? It's true." Baskets in hand, and appearances cleaned up, we both start down towards the lake, where the boys now seem to be taking a breather.

"You know Alex sometimes I don't get you."

"Read a little more Chicken Soup for the Soul and a little less history textbooks and you just might."

"I'm surprised at you really, you know."

Stopping dead in my tracks, jaw dropped and eyes propped open, I stutter out my next set of words, holding back my anger to the best of my abilities. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, except you'd allow yourself to fall in love after."

"I know, I know, after what happened with (shudder) Peter!" I yell defensively, cutting her off. I take out a small butcher knife from the basket and slip it into my concealed knife-holder high up on my thigh. "Almost forgot for a second there."

"What's that for Alex?"

"Protection."

"I don't think Heyes is going to kill you and Peter couldn't make it through here with a map, a GPS and an Indian guide."

"How have restraining orders stopped guys before? They'll lie, cheat, steal and follow you until the day they die."

"Good point, which is why I brought the gun," she says opening the lid of the basket to reveal a simple revolver underneath the tablecloth.

"Because of Ben? Oh the restraining order and since when do those work?"

"Precisely. Now let's not keep those gentlemen waiting." We soon reach Heyes and Curry at the edge of the lake, playing poker as usual. As we approach Heyes is the first to look up, followed by Curry, but their reaction is still the same.

Their eyes grow wide and their jaws drop from all the exposed flesh and funniest of all, they almost fall off their seats beholding the spectacle in front of them. Kid tries to cover by crossing his arms in front of his chest and restructuring his countenance, but his dancing eyes betray his acting. Heyes actually does a decent cover up by looking away towards the stables. They both then look at each other, with a subtle hint at the same psychic communication that I've shared with Sam ever since we were kids, and with a synchronized shrug, they stand from their uneven stools.

"Now boys is that any way to greet a couple of ladies who have happened to have brought food," we both pat our baskets as I smile sweetly at their flattering gawking while Sam talks with an assertiveness identical to Kid's.

Heyes and Curry snap back into attention when food is mentioned, more Curry than Heyes of course. "Certainly not Sam." Both of them stroll over and offer their arms to us like the gentlemen they are. Sam heads over to the waterfall direction with Kid while I take Heyes over to another part of the lake where a boat awaited our arrival.

With Heyes, the food, and me on board, we ship off to the center of the lake. The few rays of sunlight peaking over the mountains rest on the surface of the water and bounce off everything near by, including Heyes' soulful eyes. The basket sits in between us and when we pull out to the center I pull out the baked apple, but not the wine just yet.

"All right close your eyes."

"Can I trust you?" He does comply, but turns into a "smart" guy when he opens one eye while squinting the other one.

"What am I going to do, flip the boat over? Just trust me." He closes his eyes with a subtle bit of hesitancy that I almost don't catch, but I do. Making a mental note of the reaction in the back of my head, I rip off a piece of the apple and swing it slowly in front of him. His nose twitches as the odor rises through his nostrils. The apple soon disappears from my fingers shortly afterward and after he chews, he opens his eyes and smiles dreamily at me. "My compliments to the cook, she's outdone herself."

"She tries. I…Heyes can I ask you something?"

"You don't have to ask to ask."

"Alright. If you don't make it back, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes?"

"Don't stay here. I know that sounds sort of odd, but you'd be in too much danger here. Sam and I have made enemies doing what it is that we do. They have literally torn our world apart looking for us, or at least connections to us. If they should find you, they will not hesitate to kill you and Kid. Sam and I are not about to let you two walk into danger that you might not come out of just because our enemies want to draw us out into the open. Therefore the best solution is for you two to leave since they might actually locate us again and come for us. I'm just afraid that next time, Sam and I won't make it."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Miss Lulson."

"Please call me Alex," I say while putting a finger to his lips. _Did I just say that? Good thing Sam isn't here. She'd be laughing crazy, but then I'd just slap her, so no big._

"Well then Alex, there's no way we'd leave you two. We've barely had a glimpse of this future and I can speak for the Kid and I when I say we'd get in trouble the minute we were on own. This world is too fast, too crowded, too loud. Everyone seems so afraid."

"Heyes you don't understand."

"Alex, now it's you who doesn't. If we die here, which seems sort of odd like you said, then we'd rather die with you."

"Oh, Heyes. Now you're making me guilty."

"Don't be. Besides, I do have some good news. A theory, in fact, newly formed."

"I'll take any suggestions right now."

"Well, I've been thinking. You came to our time through the sheriff's office and all of us came here through the sheriff's office, so my theory is."

"Go back to that office. I thought about that, but the fair has left."

"Not finished. You told us that a gypsy in town told you where you'd you be able to go home."

"And about the extra luggage."

"Right, so if we find that gypsy. We can find the way to go back."

"I see your point. Tomorrow we'll go back to the fair, the remains of it anyway, and find that gypsy."

"There's one more thing."

"Yes Heyes?"

"I never realized that a woman can look as beautiful as you are while thinking," he takes hold of my hand within both of his as he compliments me with his gaze as well as his words.

I recover from the sudden change in conversation with a rightful grace, "Right back at you outlaw."

"That's ex-outlaw."

"Right. Right." Hoping to move into a more humorous atmosphere, I look down at the water and continue with, "I bet you I could balance on the bow of this boat." _I bet you I could balance on the bow of this boat! Argh! I'm such an idiot. I'm surprised he doesn't call me on that. _

He seems stunned at first, but then gets my message, "I'll take that bet, go ahead." He moves out of the way for me to have enough standing room. I move slow and steady, which allows success in my approach to the uneven place. I manage to keep my firm footing and stay there for an extra few seconds of gloating.

"See, told y." I slur the last word of my speech as my footing looses itself from an unknown force hitting me square in the back of the knees, causing my legs to buckle under me and fall into the water.

The cold water pierces my lungs like a thousand knives. The sudden surprise sets off my body's instinct to gasp for air, which shocks it even more when there is none. I swim rapidly to the light above and surface with a sigh of relief. The relief turns to anger when I see Heyes' smug smirk on his face. "Excuse me, why did you do that?"

"Couldn't resist," he cries with a hearty bellow of laughter in his voice.

With my own smirk I continue, "Oh yeah. Well resist this." I grab the underside of the boat and spin the boat onto its flipside. I laugh cheerfully at my cruel joke until I don't see a sign of Heyes coming up for several minutes. _Okay, where is he? No, don't tell me he can't swim. He must be drowning somewhere and there'd be no way I could find him through all this water. No, I'm not about to let this happen again, not to two men in my life._ Panicking, I dive down and search for some type of figure. Despite the crystal clearness of the lake, and much to my anxiety, I see nothing. Returning to the surface, I take a breath of air and dive back down to another direction. No such luck awaits me and soon I'm forced to return to the surface for air. "Heyes! Heyes, where are you! Heyes, Heyes! Hey-Ah!" Something seizes my shoulder and pulls me under the boat. I struggle against this as best as I can, but the strength is too great. Once I resurface under the boat, I find myself looking into the trickster eyes of Heyes himself. "How dare you play with my mind? I thought you were dead-argh!"

"It's okay. Alex it was just a bit of fun."

"Fun? Joke _then_ about losing your father to these very waves when you were but five years old. Joke _then_ about remembering the screams and the tears, not being able to do one thing about it." I breathe in heavily and bite my lip to stop the tears from leaking through my eyes. "I couldn't go back to this cursed water, until tonight when I thought I could trust you. How could I be so stupid?"

"Alex."

"You know what, forget it."

"Alex!" The coldness in his voice stops me dead in my tracks, which didn't work on me very often. I could hear the tortured cries of prisoners, which I did on a regular basis, and not be bothered. Something about Heyes though, maybe from my sincere attachment to him caused my reaction to be so. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. That doesn't mean I don't care. Remember I like you and think you're an honorable woman, am I wrong?"

After a long and awkward silence, I decide to forgive him. After all his parents died when he was young too. "No you are not wrong."

His arms slowly wrap themselves around my shoulders trying to soothe my angry soul. Not being able to stand the almost comical sincerity in his sympathetic tone, I draw myself into his chest and onto his warm lips. The sensual nature of the kiss shocks both of us for a moment, but then we venture right back to where we left off. Our lips clash and graze over each other as if in a stumbling race until I fully realize what exactly I'm doing. After the heat dies away, and the compounded frost feeling from the cold dampness of the water comes flooding back into my heart, I open my eyes to the sound peace resonating in Heyes' eyes. "Let's go inside Heyes, it'll be cold soon." We manage to make it back to the shore with only a little trouble. Once I climb onto the ground, I hug it and kiss it like I hadn't seen it for years. "Land! I love you land!"

"Care to tell me what you're doing," Heyes asks with a small hint of a chuckle in his huffed voice.

"Kissing the ground."

"You are one of the most direct girls I've ever met and I probably won't ever meet another like you again."

"I hope not."

"Why?"

"Cause it means you'll remember me when we get you back."

"I'd never forget you. Wait you're going to stay here?"

"Our life is here Heyes. If we left, things would be a lot different."

"Because you're journalists?"

My own laughter finds itself and pushes it out into the open, which my side commences to protest to. "Yeah about that we sort of didn't tell you the truth."

"About what?"

"At the beginning, when we went back to your time. We thought that all of it was a dream, including you two, so we decided to fudge a bit of the details about our life. Sam and I are, what should I use, ah sheriffs/bounty hunters, on a national level, in your terms."

"I think I'll retire now."

I almost have to race to keep up with him but I can still say, "Heyes, if I was going to arrest you, wouldn't I have done it by now?" He looks back at me, looking for a sign of bluffing no doubt. However, unlike our other bluff-catching contests, this comment truly is honest. "Now come on, I have a surprise for you."

"What?"

"I can't tell you otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise now would it."

"Alright you win. Lead me on."

Turning a little red, I look Heyes up and down and fully understand that to fit in, he's going to have to ditch the outlaw clothes and adorn some modern ones. We continue through the doorway of the walkout balcony and past the kitchen, where upon we enter into the luxurious living room suite filled with antiques from the Victorian era, where I finally gather the courage to say, without cracking up, "Now about those clothes."

Once the waterfall arrives in sight, I start to really think about my surroundings. Especially about the gentleman, whose arm is intertwined with mine. _Wow. I don't really believe this. I mean I've dreamed of him, imagined him, I've even wrote stories about him, but to actually see him. It's incredible. I wonder what he thinks about, being an outlaw on the run. _Silence enfolds around us for several moments and we each lie in our own thoughts until I call Kid's withdrawnness. "Do you always keep to yourself?"

"When there's stuff to be thinking?"

"What are you thinking?"

"About everything, mostly."

"I mean right now, what's on your mind that causes you to be drawn into such concentration."

"Getting back, I guess."

"Is your time really that important?"

"It's all we have. What about you? Is being a journalist that important?"

"Well let's just say that this time would be a lot different without us here's a good spot, but I know an even better one. Follow me." Leaving the basket behind, I take Curry's hand and lead him over to a small trail leading behind the waterfall.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Oh that's helpful."

"Isn't it," we hop along the next few bits of rock and jump through the crashing waves. Two more stools are lined against the back wall, making the main focus of the enclosure the few rays of light coming over the mountains and through the thundering waves. "Here sit." We take our seats and behold the view in silence of words, but not in thoughts. I'm the first to break that ice coagulating between us. "The water's amazing isn't it?"

"I've never actually grown up around the water, but you're right. It is amazing and so are you Sam."

"Yeah it reminds me of Rome when the sun hits the rocks along the water…. excuse me?"

"I said I never thought I'd see this much beauty in a woman until I saw you. You're awfully pretty and it was my privilege to shoot that drunk in the shoulder when we first met."

"It was such a whirl wind, I know, but I still remember you and I hope that you'll remember me."

"How could I forget you?"

"Well, I know that Alex and Heyes will find a way to get you both back. Won't you miss me then?

"No." He must have noticed my stricken look because he quickly finished his sentence. "No, I won't miss you because you and Alex are coming back with us."

I smile brightly, "I'll come back with you. I'll just have to convince Alex to come too. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard."

"Heyes and I, well, we're still wanted. Even when we get that amnesty, we'd still be watched a little too closely for my own approval. I couldn't bear it, if something should happen to you. But I can't leave you behind."

"Kid. Now listen to me. Believe in me when I say this. Alex and I are more than capable to handle ourselves in that sort of situation."

"Like the two drunkard situation."

"Okay that was bad luck. We froze." Before another word can escape my lips, I find myself with a new form converging with my lips. My hand reaches up to graze his face with a gentle touch, but accidentally knocks off his hat. I smile a bit when I can pull his face closer and not get hit by the brim of his hat.

After the moment of weakness, I realize just what exactly I just did and I don't like it. _What am I doing, no, it doesn't matter. I love him. Yes, I will go back with him. No matter what, I promise to help you Kid. _ Small pools of liquid crystal slide down my cheeks from my frustration of the problem. I wanted to be in love, but I have too many enemies. I'm tired of running as it is, this would make it even worse. Kid seemed to have sensed my tears as he pulls away and wipes them away with his thumb.

"What's wrong?"

I look into his blue eyes and before I loose my courage. I tell him what I should have said when we met. "Before Kid, when we went back to your time. Alex and I thought it was a dream, so I lied to you about our lives. We, Alex and I, are what you would call sheriffs or bounty hunters."

He fidgets a little and looks down at me with uneasiness, but I could tell he really cared about that. He must've been seduced and betrayed before. If only I could convince him that Alex and I wouldn't do that. Before he can say another word, I continue on, hoping to not hear what I'd fear to hear from him, "You can see why I didn't want to tell you, but just know that if we wanted to arrest you two, we would've done so already. Anyway, over the years, we made enemies and they're relentless. They will find out that Alex and I are involved with you two. They will literally tear our world apart until they find you and they will kill you. I couldn't endure the pain if that would happen, if anything happened to you. They probably already know and are on their way, so it's best if we either go back with you or you two just leave. It'd be best for everyone." I suddenly leap from my natural seating and head towards the entrance where we came.

"Except I wouldn't be able to see you anymore and that's not high on my list." Kid grabs my shoulder before yanking me into a tight embrace. Standing there for several moments in his arms reminds me of when our father last held us before he was killed. The memory frightens me, but it doesn't matter. All that does right now, is holding this man and him holding me. We may become partially deaf from the roaring waves beside us, but what does it matter. The light once blaring through the water has dimmed from the time passing away and it's never safe to be alone at night, even with a fast drawer like Curry.

"It's getting late. We'd better head in for some real food. I only brought my pie, which I forgot."

"You made a pie and you didn't tell me?"

"It's apple."

"Nice. Let's dig in."

"Nothing stands between you and food does there?"

"Not even a meeting about amnesty."

Hopping along the path of rocks leading out of the waterfall, I joke, "You're such a character Kid."

"You have no idea," he helps me over the next set of uneven ground before eyeing the picnic basket. "This it?" He goes over and lifts open the lid to where he can "pretend" to smell the cooled pie. "It's cinnamon apple."

"Okay so I missed one detail. The proof is in the taste."

"I'll say."

I watch the man in awe as he digs into the pie for a couple of heaping bites of the dessert, "We can't live on pie though. Let's go back to the house. I'll put on some coffee."

"Coffee?"

Reading his thoughts like an open book I sigh, "Yes, and no, mine isn't as bad as Heyes' coffee."

"Good, my stomach didn't want to be burned through."

"Like the bars at the jail cell you once burned through to escape?" He stands there speechless when he realizes he didn't tell me about that. "You two are history characters. Every western fanatic will know everything about you. I'll show you the book."

"So you know everything about us?"

"Pretty much, from the day you were born to the day you died."

"What about our amnesty?"

_**I wonder if I should take a page from Alex's book. Nah, I'll go easy on him.**_ "You'll see." With one last gleeful chuckle, I start to run from Curry as he chasses me all, across the backyard and into the house. I even trip and fall a few times, but recover by crawling under a log, into places unreachable to Curry. Eventually we make it back to the house and when we don't see Heyes and Alex right away, I put on a cup of coffee. 

The dome shaped room echoes from our footsteps. The fine layer of dust that's collected since we've been gone, adds a shade of light gray to all of the wooden surfaces. I really need to talk to the cleaning lady. The walls are lined with shelves that are filed with books from every genre known to man. Heyes' eyes seem to bug right out of his head when he sees so much knowledge within his grasp. It almost hurts that Heyes hasn't seen this much knowledge in his life, but hey, how could he with all his outlawing. Two mahogany desks are placed against one another in the middle of the room, with computers that haven't been used in months. We've just memorized where the books should be so much that we didn't need them anymore, however I'd need it to locate the history book. Sam usually deals with the history, horror and psycho thrillers of our compilation.

I turn on the computer and smile when it works so well after all this time. "Ah technology." As I wait for the machine to start, I rummage through some of the books scattered on the desk. _Poetry of the Rich and Famous. No. Creating Fantasy Characters, no. Isn't there anything here on history? Of course not. Wait Psychology of the Modern Man not even going there. _Looking around for any useful knowledge gets me nowhere and hopefully the computer will help us. It's programmed to hook up to the Internet, to a different western website, each time. Sam and I thought it was cool at first, but not this time. The website randomly generated appears on the screen, but I see the loading icon still charging at the bottom of the screen.

Thinking the computer must be slow from the absence of use, I stroll over to the window where I snap the curtains shut. You never know who'd be watching you in this day and age of society. Suddenly a roaring sound of gunfire is heard from the computer screen along with the blaring screeches of twenty drunken men and the thuds of their rumbling horses. My eyes bulge from the surprise, but I don't startle as much as Heyes.

I forgot to tell Heyes about how the computer might do that and quite frankly it didn't cross my mind at the time. I pay for it dearly as soon I become aware of my body being pushed to the ground and the shouting from Heyes to "get down". He pulls out his gun from his holster and fires off a couple of rounds through the window where he thought the sound was coming from. The shattered glass rains down on us from the window above and one of the pieces cuts into my arm.

The sounds from the website stop almost as soon as they had begun, where Heyes becomes even more confused. First he hears the thundering sound of a posse coming towards them, then a pause of silence and followed by a small groan from me. _He must be shocked I know. I would be._ Despite the pain in my arm, I burst out into hysterical laughter. My sides commence to protest when they get an added dose of side burning laughter after the collision with the floor.

"What are you laughing at, you almost got killed. Your arm is even bleeding, you okay?"

"I got to hand to you Heyes. You never present a dull moment. Never mind about my arm, it's my bad. I should've told you about the new technology." I struggle to get up and walk over to the computer, but I reach it soon enough to redial the site. After a shorter time of downloading, the thirty seconds of western chaos replay themselves in the room. "You see the information is transported through this device." moving my finger from the main computer, to the monitor, and then to the speaker, ".the central apparatus, to the display center and then to the speaker where it produces the sounds you hear. That may of all sounded like blah, blah, blah, but that's the best way to explain it. Now for my surprise."

"What about your arm," he says indicating the gash in my forearm while I seemingly ignore the wound by continuing to type.

"Yeah, guess I better take care of that, huh?" Pulling open several drawers before I get to the one with the first aid kit takes an increasingly annoying time. Finally completing the packing of the wound in gauze tape, I continue with the searching. "Let's see, what was the bar code number on that book?" While thinking of the number, I wander onto Sam. _Surely she heard the shots. Where could she be? _As if my thoughts had been broadcasted, Sam bursts into the room along with Curry, whose gun is also drawn.

Sam looks at me with concern when she sees the wound in my arm and the window shattered with the glass on the floor. "Alex care to explain."

"I didn't tell Heyes about computers."

"And the website came on."

"With it's own theme song."

"What were you even doing on the computer?"

"Looking up a book, but since you're here you can tell me."  
"I was going to show Curry that one too. It's right over." Sam walks along the far side of our library and pulls out a large leather bound book with a black buckle lock. She unlocks the book and flips through a couple of pages until she smiles with satisfaction and slams the book down on the table. Heyes and Curry stare on in horror while Sam and I just smile at the heading at the top of the page.

"Gentlemen, I believe this is your life."

"I see it, but I don't believe it."

"Heyes, this is the future."

"Now if you two don't mind Sam and I'll leave you two to reading while we clean my wound a little more."

"Promise you'll stay here and not touch anything."

"Promise."

We both nod in thanks as we quickly turn the computer off and head down to the bathroom down the hall. We walk into our spacious bathroom with two baths and numerous sinks with a sort of disgust. I lean over the massive porcelain tub and turn on the lukewarm water. As the water runs down my wound, I rub away the loose skin. Sam crawls onto the counter and leans against the framed glass mirror with her eyes closed. After a minute she opens one eye and asks, "Alex?"

"Yeah Sam?"

"Whose idea was it to buy the random website generator with surround sound from that sales guy?"

I cringe from scrubbing away the last of the loose skin from the cut and shut off the water before I answer, "Yours Sam, all yours."

"That's what I thought. Here." She tosses me a white towel and some more wrapping gauze. The clean up ends soon and we decide to slip on some more comfortable clothes. We pull out a couple of silk nightgowns and lacy white robs from the linen closet to change into and find ourselves right outside the library looking in on the boys reading that book.

"Kid can this be true?"

"I don't know Heyes, you're supposed to be the smart one."

"This'd be beyond Heyes wouldn't it?"

"I'd say so Alex. Hey boys."

Both of them look back at the book before Curry finally asks. "How did you ladies obtain this information?"

"Kid, you two are history. People are fascinated by history. Being a part of the past, people tend to know about you. There must be tons of books, plays, you name it, about the Old West."

"I thought you'd be jumping with joy by now."

"Why's that Alex?"

"What page are you on? We were gone for a while." I lean over the two men's shoulders and realize they hadn't turned the page. They must've analyzed everything. I turn the wimpy page and search for a certain article. The article about amnesty. My finger trails along the age old words, trying to find the passage. Annoyed, I flip to the index and look up amnesty. It shows page number thirty-five. Flipping the book back to where I was, I see page number thirty-two, thirty-three and then thirty-six?

"That can't be right."

"Look Alex." Heyes indicates the spine where the missing page has been ripped right from the book itself. "Someone's ripped it out."

"Alex, you didn't read it did you?"

"No. Why didn't you? You're the history fanatic."

"Why is it always me?"

"Ladies!" Curry and Heyes break us away from each other. "Let's not fuss over this."

"Kid it was your only chance to see if all that hard work would pay off."

"I know but Heyes and I figure we have a good chance. This is no time to lose our heads."

"It's getting late. We better turn in. Have a good night ladies." They exit from the room towards outside. Sam and I watch them for a minute while they walk down stairs.

"Heyes!"

"Kid!"

They both turn at their names and await an order of some sort.

"Your rooms are this way. You didn't think we'd let you sleep outside a place like this when it has a billion rooms."

"We insist, please."

"Okay. It'd be nice to sleep in a bed for once." Heyes and Curry climb back up the stairs to the hallway, where we direct them to their conjoined rooms. After they settle in for the night, Sam and I retire to our own rooms.

The moon shines high overhead when I'm awoken from my sleep by a weird rumbling. Wondering what the sound could be, I hear another loud click and then a short tap, tap, tap. Jolting from my lethargy, I slip my hand underneath the pillow and clasp the handle of my knife. I feel around for the radio that should be next to it and find it on the edge of the bed. Turning it on, I whisper into the device, "Sam? Sam?" I'm concerned when all I hear is static. "Sam! Wake up!"

"You hear it too?" Relief floods into me when I hear her voice.

"Yeah. Grab your gun and meet me downstairs." I pull on my healed boots stashed beneath my bed and set my knife into my partially concealed leather holster. Grabbing my trusty pistol from another pillowcase, I cock it to make sure I'm ready.

"What about the guys?"

Looking up, I see Sam standing in the doorway connecting our two rooms. "I said meet me downstairs."

"Since when do I listen? Again, what about the guys?"

"We'll make it quick and contained. They'll never have to know."

"Will we tell them anyway?"

"Probably." My hand twists the doorknob quietly and opens it with a loud and uneasy creak. "Ready?" With a solemn nod, we step outside our rooms and sneak down the darkened stairs. I motion for her to take the back route through the living room while I'd go straight through the kitchen, where I heard the noise originating. I walk up to the door and notice it's been jimmied open. As I kneel down to investigate the craftsmanship, I hear the TV go on in the living room. _What is Sam doing?_ I crawl along the floor and aim my gun ahead of me. I slide up the wall, keeping my wits about me as I do so. My vision creeps around the corner and Sam's disappeared. Normally she'd be right behind me, but there's no sign of her.

A silent cocking sound sounds off behind me, after which I feel cold steel press into my ear and a hairy arm block my escape path. I recognize this very obvious, yet cunning, routine right off. "Peter."

"Hey babe." His voice greets me like hell itself with a heavy accented disdain He flips over his hand and flips up his fingers before ordering, "Give me the gun." I spit in his awaiting hand, which might not have been a smart move when I feel a fist collide with my face. "Babe. I ain't as patient as I was back when you swindled me. The gun, if you please."

I deposit my gun into his awaiting hand, which he equips and tosses his across the room. "What are you doing here? Where's Sam?"

"She's…wait. Almost forgot." He reaches around and feels for my knife holster. Finding it, he unhooks the knife and tosses it by his gun, grazing my backside while doing so.

"Satisfied?"

"Not for years."

"Where is Sam!"

"Babe, still so demanding. Well she's probably with Ben."

"Ben. You brought her ex to distract her."

"Brilliant isn't it?"

"I was thinking incredibly stupid. She won't fall for it."

"Let's see. Go on, to the living room." He leads me into the adjoining room where Sam sits in the chair tied to the bone with gaudy amounts of rope. Her face streams down with blood from her head and lip. She tries to cough, but the gag makes it tiresome I can imagine. Her arms show some sign of bruises starting to emerge from the torn up skin.

"You're kidding me?" _Wait, I didn't reload my gun from when I used it last. Thank goodness for my terrible memory. _With this thought in my mind, I turn and give him a right upper cut to the chin and a fierce knee kick to the place where the sun don't shine. His eyes tear up as he falls to the floor and squirms around in pain.

I rush back over to Sam, who seems to be trying to tell me something. She appears to be gesturing behind me and I realize it too late when a chair comes down over my back. I crash onto the floor and am picked up again by Ben as Peter had said. Ben being a body builder, lets him maneuver me around like Jell-O. He picks me up and throws me into the china cabinet at the end of the room. I'm only able to wipe the blood from my mouth when another toss of my frail form lands on the coffee table at the center of the room. The legs break from the pressure and I endure the extra pain of falling on the wood. I soon see Ben back on top of me with another chair in his grasp above his head. I kick his shins with the heel of my thin, and rather sharp, heel of my boot, which causes him to drop the chair on himself.

I get up and sling my fists, one by one, into his square jaw and finish with a high chest kick that sends him twirling into the nearby mirror. I shift my weight from side to side to keep my body moving and my target confused. His body starts wavering and I know it's working, so I give another high twirl kick to the face when I can use the thin heel to cut his bloody lip even more. He stumbles back and crashes against the wall. Believing that I've truly won, I turn around to untie Sam. When I'm right back where'd I'd started from, I feel someone yank me off my feet and slam me, head first, into the floor. I groan in defeat when I can't move my muscles for some time after the collision.

"Ben. Calm yourself and tie her up." The brute of a man throws me into the chair and binds the ropes so tight around my rib cage that I can barely breathe. "See what you put me through."

"You were the job."

"We were married."

"You sold out your country. I should've killed you then. I told you to leave, you gave me your word."

"Yeah, well I lied."

"What does Ben have to do with this?"

"Bait for Sam like I said. They were together for four years and she dumped him. He was more than happy to help me." He brings up another chair, still left in one peace, and sits in it to face me eye to eye. "Now what to do now that I have you in my clutches."

"Let me go."

He brings down another punch to my head. "Wrong answer. Let's pick up where we..."

"Will you just shut up and listen! Gotta say, your compulsiveness isn't a great way to woo a girl."

"Then what about this." Peter ferociously smacks his lips onto mine and I'm greeted by the putrid smell of beer and smoke. It almost makes me want to gag and I almost do, but I make way with muffled screams.

A shot whizzes by our heads and I'm graced with Peter leaving his post. "You move unexpectedly at all friend and I'm going to blow a hole in your head. Follow my voice, both of you, and leave the ladies alone."

All I see is darkness when my vision adjusts. The shot had hit the lamp, which killed the only source of light in the room worth relying on. My bindings start to etch themselves into my skin, which alerts me to start escaping while I have the time. The rope proves too great to break out of and my only choice is to wiggle free. While wriggling in my chair, I listen for Heyes. _Curry must've shot the gun and lured the guys away while Heyes could slip through and untie us. Smart boys_. Then another hand assists me in freeing myself. Quietly I whisper, "Heyes?"

"Yep." He snaps the last tie and cringes from my additional wounds. "Stay down. We'll take it from here."

"Be careful Heyes."

"Always." He crouches down and crawls over to the kitchen where Kid had obviously lead them. I limp over to Sam where she still sits in her chair, but she's untied thank goodness.

"Got your handcuffs?"

"Under the table." I rummage through the wood and start to search at a faster rate when I hear an awful ruckus going on in the kitchen. I find the metal bindings and pick up one of the table's legs while I walk up to the doorway. I peer in when another shot sounds off in my direction, with the other three towards the kitchen door. I pickup a broken piece of glass and chuck it into the air where I see Peter reveal himself in the far right corner. Ben also reveals himself at the corner by the back door, so I figured that Heyes and Curry must be at the diagonal opposite angles.

Peter calls out after the projectile, "Ben what the hell are you doing?"

"I thought it was you." Their voices confirm my dimensions and it being dark gives me the advantage. I clutch another piece of glass and toss it into the air. After Ben shoots the target again, I hear him trying to reload. Using the time, I creep along the wall and bash him over the head with the table leg. I wrap his arms behind his back and secure them together with the manacles. Peter must've sensed that I'd done that because he stands straight up and starts shooting over in my direction. One of the bullets catches my shoulder at the rebound before Curry nicks him in the shoulder. Peter falls back on the wall and falls down onto the floor. I lean against the wall and pant from all the abuse in one night. Sam appears by my side with a damp towel and more gauze.

"You can't keep them off you can't you?"

"I'm like a magnet."

"You're in luck, the bullet just grazed your shoulder. It didn't go straight down like a regular wound."

"Get them out of our house Sam. Tell Johnson I quit. I'm sick of these night raids. I might not survive the next one."

"I'll handle everything."

"Thank you." I keep patting the sweat away from the blood so they wouldn't mix while Sam calls in a pick up from our boss. Soon Peter and Ben are removed from the property and I can finally relax. I slump down in one of the left together chairs and cover my face with my hands. The wounds along my arms weren't serious, just a couple bruises and scratches. The bullet wound wasn't even that bad. Sam, Heyes and Curry join me in the living room once everything's settled.

"Do you just attract danger?"

"It comes with the job."

"Which we just quit. We figure we'll come back with you two."

"You definitely think there's a way back?"

"Heyes and I think if we find that gypsy.."

"We'll find our ticket home. It's morning and they probably haven't cleaned up the fair yet." I stand from my seat and sit right back down when I feel dizzy. "Let's go." I rise from my chair again and resist the temptation to fall back down again from the lightheadedness. My condition must've shown that much because Heyes gets right up with me and blocks my path. "Heyes."

"I'm not letting you get up while you're this weak."

"But."

"Nope, off to bed with you. We'll get to that gypsy soon enough." Heyes catches me in mid-fall when my knees buckle from under my own weight. I give in as my own consciousness becomes too heavy a burden and snaps as well.

My eyes slowly open to a bright sunlit room, which is unsuitable to my senses being so adapted to the darkness as I was. "Anyone get the license plate number of that truck?"

I stretch my aching muscles to the sky and yawn from weariness clinging to me. I jump from the sudden voice behind me, "Afternoon sleepy head."

"Don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack Heyes."

"Heart attack?"

"Never mind." I turn around and my jaw drops. His outlaw type clothes no longer clothe him, but more modern ones preside. Nice, and I mean nice, fitting dark denim jeans accompany a white collared shirt and a spiffy brown leather jacket. I'm pleased to see Heyes wearing his roughed up black hat that he normally wears.

"Don't you look nice?"

"I don't know. These feel weird," he says signifying the classy jeans.

"Dark denim jeans aren't meant for comfort."

"Now you tell me. Kid isn't too enthusiastic either."

"We'll all be gone soon and we can be together." I wrap my arms around Heyes in a last hug before I get up to start getting things ready. After all, we could be leaving today.

Sam and Kid walk in soon after, Sam first in her comment. "Awwww, how cute." Sam wears her fluttery white spring dress that swirls around her calves like loose fabric. She also wears her apron, which reads, "Kiss the cook". I'll bet Kid's followed that sign quite a bit.

I almost start to laugh when I see what Sam had put Kid into. Salmon type pants accompany another white collared shirt. He was able to keep his sheepskin jacket and his tanned cowboy hat. "Awwww to you too. How's your head?"

"Better. You took more damage than me, how are you feeling?"

"Hungry, that's what I'm feeling."

"Kid's living proof that we can fix hungry."

Pleasant smells drift into the room and I now pick them up. "Good, you made pancakes."

"Blueberry."

"Ooh, my fave. I'll meet you guys downstairs in about five minutes." Sam, Curry and Heyes leave the room and I join them in under my promised five minutes. I quickly slapped my favorite faded blue jeans with a custom t-shirt that I'd bought in Las Vegas. It read, "If I can't win, then I don't wanna play."

"Pancakes for lunch? You might as well whip up a pie too."

"Already done. Just needs eating."

A smile cracks from my sister's dry joke as I enter the room. The moment I see Heyes, I run over to him and finish the hug I'd started earlier. "Afternoon Heyes."

"Good to see your well Alex. Death isn't knocking at your door?"

"Certainly hope not." I look up to see the kitchen and living room in shambles, a testimony to last night's events no doubt. "How's Johnson?"

"The agency isn't too thrilled about our quitting. Johnson suggested we disappear."

"That's what I thought."

"What do you mean Alex?"

"You see Heyes. When agents quit, they're watched. Our government thinks we may be giving information to enemies and they don't like that. They say when an agent does quit, they better disappear or the government will make them disappear."

"That's what we're hoping to do today, disappear."

"Once we find that gypsy, we'll disappear with you."

"So it's official?"

"What?"

"You two are coming back with us?"

"We've quit our jobs. Alex and I have talked it over. There's too much violence and injustice in society that we'll never be able to fix. We might as well go back to a much simpler time where we can live our lives in happiness. We leave soon. You two ready?" Ready they were. Except Sam and I still needed to prepare, so we went up to our Western Era collection room to gather necessary items. By the time we were done, we'd collected rope, tools, two cowboy hats, a set of boots each, our own suede jackets, saddlebags, two changes of clothes for each of us, one fancy dress each for those special occasions, two rifles, two .45 caliber sharp shooters, a good deal of ammunition, a couple of our own classic books to read and of course, money, about two thousand dollars worth of their "old time" money.

While we prepared, we had the boys saddle up four horses in the stables. The walkout balcony from this room we were in was right next to one of the trees, so we made our entrance sliding down the branches. An hour later we found ourselves staring down the remains of the fair we had been seeking. Tumbleweeds are the only residents in this town and all they do is roll down the street and between the buildings. We reach the sheriff's office in good time to dismount and tie our horses securely to the wooden railing. I cautiously approach the building with Heyes close behind me, followed by Sam and Curry. The door is locked, but I can't imagine why. I stand aside for Heyes and Curry to handle this and, like any other guy, they bust the door in.

It takes a moment for the dust to settle in the room, which still seems odd to me. When the dust clears, that pestering gypsy is there to greet us with a petty wave. "Hello Lulson twins. Hello Heyes and Curry. What can I do for you dearies?"

"We're not in the mood for games. Just tell us how to get back."

"Gaze into my crystal ball and watch." We all lean in and watch the smoke filled sphere clear into an image of this town at about this time. "I cant send you back now, you see? I can see a storm of most excellent opportunities. Here in this town of minutes five to none." The gypsy cackles a hideous laugh as she disappears with a short whirlwind of gust.

"That has got to be the worst rhyming attempt I've ever seen."

"But you still got the message didn't you? She can't send us back by herself."

"So she's sending a storm to do it for her. Yeah I got that. In the next five minutes we've got to be ready."

"Well I am," Curry says while offering his arm to Sam. "Are you?"

"You can bet your bottom dollar."

They both exit, leaving Heyes and me to ourselves. "What about you Heyes? You ready to go back?"

"This time makes riding drag look like fun."

"Try growing up in it."

"Now you can forget all about it because you won't have to worry about it anymore. I'll make sure of that."

"I'd never worry about getting hurt with you by my side Heyes."

"Alex!"

"Heyes!"

We burst through the doorway to see the sky darkened with gloomy clouds, but thundering with clashes of the heavens. Sam and I stare open mouthed at the spectacle while subconsciously holding onto the guys' arms a little more. A rapid wind starts to pick up and the horses don't even seem fazed. It's like we're the only ones who can see this going on. "It's now or never!" Another lightning bolt crashes down on one of the buildings following my statement, sending it into a raging ball of purple fire? Yes and in the middle of the inferno, the portal appears. Heyes and Curry first approach the horses and wrap their bandannas around their eyes so they wouldn't buck while trying to get them through. Sam and I follow suit and soon we're really ready. This is it, now or never. We slowly mount the horses, not wanting anything to go horribly wrong.

The gusts start to pick up a little more and still the horses don't act nervous. With easy steering, we maneuver the horses towards the portal. As we inch nearer, the cold feeling rises through me again. However one look at Heyes gives me the strength to push me all the way through the portal. The instant I hit the fog, my horse begins to buck and I struggle to hold on. The area of smoke encloses my vision with darkness and the iciness soon melts away with the scenery of the Old West flaring into view.

My vision comes back to me to the bright and pestering heat of the sun? Yes, as I sit up and examine the scenery, we made it through. The rest of my party lie next to me and admire the bustling town in the distance. "Sam, can you believe it?"

"Beautiful isn't it?"

"If this is to be our permanent home, then I can think of no better first order of business than to get a room." I'm suddenly helped to my feet by Heyes, who also agrees with the town, but.

"In case you ladies haven't noticed, we're broke."

"I wouldn't say that. Now come on. I hear that town has a lot of dumb players with _big_ wallets."

"You can say that again." I mount my horse and look down at the unsuspecting town. _Now who says happily ever-afters are stories that aren't finished. Well, whoever they are, they mustn't have met Heyes and Curry as Sam and I have. _

"Now I can see what a good poker player you really are." Heyes comment brings my head down from the clouds and I think I even hear a bit of challenge in his voice.

"You can bet your bottom dollar. I'll won if you'll race me to town."

"You're on." Heyes and I spur past Sam and Curry so fast that dust swirls around them and I could still hear their screams of protest as we sped past them. Looks like I finally got my ride into the sunset.


End file.
